Feedback & Reports

Fairly difficult fishing today, though there was some fly life about and the river had been freshened up by the rain. I saw several varieties of sedges, and large upwings hatching that I couldn't identify and a large hatch of iron blue duns in the evening. I was slightly disappointed not to be able to fish the bridge pool; there was a film crew and swimmers using it all day, right up to dusk.
I did managed to catch one thick set, 16", knock out trout. I didn't weight it but I'd guess it to be well over 2lb, which absolutely made up for the swimmers...and canoeists from the wedding at the big house. I also managed to catch a chub of about the same size; both fish were caught on a para tups indispensable.

1 Trout, 1 Chub

Started out at around 1pm, having taken the afternoon off work. Not the best time to start, but I could fish until late. Overcast but bright, and humid. I was hoping for a bit more water after the recent rain a few days before, but the level was still low.
Walked to the end of the beat and was met by a large (but friendly) chocolate Labrador who decided it would be a good idea to run and swim up and down about 100 metres of the river! Not such a good start.
As I walked upstream I spotted four trout on separate occasions in the slow pool areas, but they were easily spooked so it was hard to get anywhere near them. There was not much action until the last hour or so to be honest. Missed a few bites but eventually hooked a decent sized fish that got off the hook before I could land it. Soon after that another bite and the fish was landed. Smaller but beautiful nonetheless. Caught on nymph/Klinkhammer dropper set up. A great day, just would have liked dusk to go on a bit longer!

1 Trout

We fished through the day with a long break for lunch. No real sport before around 7 pm. Very sporadic rises in the morning and managed a single trout on a black penned fished upstream. The evening was fast and exciting with fish freely rising in faster broken water. No rising fish in slower water. GandH sedge lethal fished upstream through faster runs. Largest fish to around 1.5 lbs. Grayling equally active. Might have well started fishing at around 7 pm but this is the most beautiful river to spend time on always holding new surprises.

6 Trout, 2 Grayling

Fished morning and evening. Morning very slow but took 2 fish on Greenwell glory ffrom the bottom end of the beat which has been the only place with consistently rising fish. I came back for the evening rise with sedge patterns proving particularly effective. GandH in particular.

5 Trout

Beautiful hot day, but tricky conditions made fishing difficult (my excuse anyway!). Low water levels and a very warm day meant that locating and catching fish proved to be a problem. Did get sightings of two separate large'ish trout in one of the deeper very slow pools, but they were not interested in anything I put in front of them. Did catch one small Grayling on a nymph dropper with a Klinkhammer indicator in one of the faster shallow sections mid beat. Saw two herons (I'm sure one of them was pure white) and a cormorant early on. A great day but would have liked few more fish!
(WUF Note: the all white 'Heron' may well have been an Egret)

1 Grayling

River was low and clear. Fished from dawn to around 10am. Only very sporadic rising fish with large tracts of the river showing no sign of moving fish. No discernible hatch. Two trout on sedge patterns both around the 1lb Mark.

2 Trout

Beautiful beat, first time fly fishing on river,managed 1 WBT about 12inches, on a GRHE. Had a great day.

1 Trout

Lower, clear water made this a much more challenging day than my last visit in June. Fish were easily spooked which meant fishing at a bit more distance and with a stiff breeze I needed my 4wt rather than 3wt. Arrived late morning and couldn't find any fish in the faster water with a pair of nymphs or duo. Managed 6 grayling with a dry tenkara style soft hackle from the slower glides, largest was about a pound. All returned safely. Missed as many again and lost what was clearly the best fish when my knot failed. Didn't see a wbt all day and even with a reasonable hatch about 6pm there was little surface activity. I think the trout are on vacation. Great beat though.

6 Grayling

Low water. The new stile across the barbed wire is great.

Tough fishing on an extremely hot day. River water was hot! As could be witnessed by the many swimmers upstream of the bridge at Skenfrith. Only fish caught were two wbt hiding in the riffles that fell to my black tungsten beaded ptn in the morning. I came back for the evening rise that eventually arrived at about 8.45pm but whatever they were rising to, I couldn't match it. When I got back to the Bell for a pint, I took my cap off and discovered a dun that looked a lot like a 3/4 size mayfly resting on said cap!! Well I didn't think of putting one of those on. Great beat I shall return in September.

2 Trout